World Rally Championship contender Ott Tanak has kept his title hopes alive by charging into the lead at Rally Australia but Sebastien Ogier remains on provisional position to seal the drivers’ world title in sixth place.

The Toyota Gazoo Racing driver rocketed up the order during the second day of action in Australia to lead team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala by over 21 seconds at the end of SS18.

But his comfortable lead remains not enough to pull off an outside title charge with Ogier sitting in sixth place for M-Sport Ford which would hand him the title with Thierry Neuville down in eighth place.

Hayden Paddon leads the Hyundai charge in third place ahead of day one leader Mads Ostberg with Esapekka Lappi impressing again for Toyota to round out the top five split by 50 seconds.

With Ogier in sixth, almost a full minute behind Lappi, he has the added benefit of team-mate Elfyn Evans acting as rear-gunner in seventh place to keep Neuville at bay in eighth for Hyundai.

M-Sport Ford’s Teemu Suninen also remains in contention to play a key title role in ninth place, 13.8s off Neuville, as Craig Breen endured a nightmare second day dropping down to 10th and almost six-and-a-half minutes off the leaders following technical issues and late arrivals at the start of stages.